What Is Haw Rolls? | Chinese Candy

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What are Haw Rolls?

Haw Rolls are a renowned Chinese confectionary or sweet treat. Also known as Guodanpi or Guozi Dan, these sweets primarily use fresh hawthorn, which is rich in pectin and organic acids, as their main ingredient. The treats are crafted through a process that transforms this fruit into a sugary delight. Originating during the Qing Dynasty, the creation of Haw Rolls has an interesting backstory involving Emperor Kangxi. While he was leading his troops in a campaign against Galdan, the Eight Banners used a secret communication method known as "Guozi Dan." This involved writing orders on thin slices made from hawthorn juice. The officials could then read these orders and consume the slices, ensuring no secrets were leaked. This ingenious method is the precursor to today’s Haw Rolls.

Haw Rolls are celebrated as a traditional Chinese specialty, valued both for their rich nutrition and their delightful sweet-and-sour taste. They are reputed to stimulate the appetite and aid digestion, earning them high regard among consumers. Traditionally made from hawthorn, the variety of Haw Rolls has since expanded to include ingredients like dates, fruits and vegetables, carrots, and sea buckthorn, each contributing to the diverse array of Haw Rolls available today.

The History of Haw Rolls

In the 29th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1690), Galdan, discontent with the Qing dynasty's rule, led his forces to invade the Uvurkhangai area in Inner Mongolia, posing a threat to the Qing government's security. Emperor Kangxi decided to lead his troops personally in a campaign against Galdan, successfully defeating him after three military expeditions.

During this time, the Eight Banners employed a secret method of communication known as "Guozi Dan," utilizing thin slices made from hawthorn juice on which secret orders were written. After reading these orders, officials would eat the slices, ensuring no secrets could be leaked. This "Guozi Dan" is the precursor to what we know today as Haw Rolls. However, the "Guozi Dan" of that era was much thinner, with the thickness of paper. A Qing Dynasty court writer, Gao Shiqi, once described the creation and characteristics of "Guozi Dan" in his poetry, likening its texture to that of finely milled and evenly spread oil or wax, and noting its ability to induce salivation and quench thirst with its sweet and sour taste. Given the lack of water sources during military marches, "Guozi Dan" became a practical, tasty, and thirst-quenching food for the soldiers. Moreover, the ink used on "Guozi Dan" was harmless, as ink itself has blood-stanching and flesh-regenerating properties, making it especially suited for treating wounds from swords and firearms. This secret communication method contributed to the Qing dynasty's military successes.

Gao Shiqi, a court writer who participated in Emperor Kangxi's campaign to quell Galdan, wrote a seven-character poem titled "Guozi Dan" in the 36th year of Kangxi's reign (1697). In it, he described the production of "Guozi Dan," noting its reddish-purple color, thinness, and the uniformity and smoothness of its texture, resembling paper. He emphasized its sweet and sour taste, which could quench thirst. This indicates that the "Guozi Dan" of his time is what we refer to today as Haw Rolls. The primary difference is that modern Haw Rolls are thicker and not as paper-thin as those in the Qing dynasty. Gao's poem also highlighted the practicality of "Guozi Dan" for writing military orders that could be eaten after reading, preventing leaks of information and quenching thirst, a significantly useful feature for troops marching through water-scarce deserts. The ink used on "Guozi Dan" was not only harmless but also beneficial, as ink is considered a medicinal substance. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica," ink can heal hemorrhoids and flesh wounds, including common battlefield injuries, demonstrating the applicability of Haw Rolls for military purposes.

The best-selling Haw Rolls brand in China

1. Yida(怡达)

"In the world of hawthorn, Chengde leads; in Chengde, Yida shines." The Hebei Yida Food Group Co., Ltd., located in Chengde, known as the hometown of hawthorn, stands as a major food processing enterprise group in northern China. It is a key national agro-industrial leading enterprise, a leading enterprise in national forestry, and a participant in setting standards within the hawthorn food industry.

Founded in 1989 with Li Zhimin as its legal representative, the Yida Group inherits the Li family's 300-year-old secret "Guozi Dan" production techniques. Selecting the high-quality "Iron Hawthorn" unique to the Yanshan Mountains as its raw material and focusing on traditional mountain plant foods, Yida continuously innovates, researches, and integrates new ideas. Currently, it boasts six major brand series: Traditional Yida Hawthorn, Yili Ji, Linghou Tribe, Kaiwei Mengzhu, Jiji Zha Zha, and Gently Meet, with nearly a thousand products under its umbrella. Its market covers over 100,000 large commercial supermarkets nationwide and exports to multiple countries and regions. Over 32 years, Yida Group has evolved into a modern enterprise group that integrates planting, processing, research and development, sales, cultural innovation, tourism, and sightseeing experiences, blending primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.

Yida is the modern brand with the highest sales of Haw Rolls in China.

2. Three Squirrels(三只松鼠)

Founded in 2012, Three Squirrels is one of China's largest food e-commerce companies, specializing in a comprehensive range of leisure snacks that include nuts and dried fruits, baked goods, cereal products, meat snacks, and instant foods. The company made its public debut on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in July 2019.

Three Squirrels Co., Ltd. was established by "Squirrel Daddy" Zhang Liaoyuan in 2012, with its headquarters located in Wuhu, Anhui, and a research and innovation center in Nanjing. Through dedicated efforts, the company has grown into a publicly traded entity (stock code: 300783) with over 4,000 formal employees and annual sales exceeding 10 billion yuan. It is currently accelerating its transformation into a digital supply chain platform enterprise.

Although Haw Rolls represent just a small segment of its business, Three Squirrels' strategic advantage in distribution channels has made it the second best-selling Haw Rolls brand in the Chinese market.

Be & Cheery

Be & Cheery, established in 2003, is a well-known brand in the internet sales of nut-based foods. It focuses on the development, processing, production, trade, storage, and logistics of leisure foods, combining an internet business model and new retail into a channel brand and comprehensive brand. In 2020, Be & Cheery was acquired by PepsiCo, making it an attractive choice for those concerned about the safety of Chinese snacks, as it is essentially a non-Chinese owned company.

Like Three Squirrels, Be & Cheery is essentially a comprehensive snack brand, offering over 1000 products for sale. Thus, while there's nothing particularly distinctive about Be & Cheery's Haw Rolls, they are nonetheless considered to be quite good.

In fact, as a traditional Chinese candy, you can certainly make fried rolls in your own kitchen. If you want to do this, why not take a look at this article: How to make Hawthorn Roll at home?